Bhutan is located in South-central Asia in the Eastern Himalayas between India and China. It is a small, landlocked country with a strongly Buddhist culture. It is known as the land of the Thunder Dragon, Druk Yul. This name comes from the thunderous echoes that reverberate throughout the mountains, believed to be the voices of dragons. The dragon, or “Druk” represents the protecting forces and spiritual energy in Bhutanese mythology, which is deeply intertwined with the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
The mystical and spiritual essence of the country was evident as we first entered. Our plane landed at the only international airport in the country in Paro. The airport has the “World’s Toughest Airport Runway”, and only 24 pilots around the world are certified to land there.
Paro International Airport is 7,332 ft. above sea level, and the runway is only 6,562 ft long. Pilots must navigate through a narrow, winding valley, maneuvering around 18,000 ft. mountain peaks and culminating in a 45˚angle turn during the final stages of the landing. There is no radar, so only daylight landings are permitted as pilots must navigate manually and use distinctive landmarks to land.
For the passenger who is not too scared to look out the window, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful with the rugged, snow-capped Himalaya mountains. The airport itself looks like no other. Its traditional Bhutanese design makes it look like a temple or historic site.
We had to deplane using the stairs. As we walked across the tarmac the architecture of the building was stunning. Since we were traveling at the beginning of Covid, Bhutan was more concerned than usual about allowing people in. We had to prove that our vaccinations were up to date, and then they took our temperature. Though all was normal, when they noticed that we had been in Singapore, we were pulled aside for two more temperature checks. Finally, we were allowed to enter.
The interior of the airport matched its exterior. Art hung on the walls. We made our way to the baggage claim where we saw a model of a dzong, which is a combination of a fortress and monastery. When we got through immigration, we exited the building to see someone holding the sign with our name. This was Tshering Denup, our guide. With him was Karma, our driver. When they met us, they placed a white, silk cloth around each of us. We wore them whenever we went to an “official” site. Then we were off on our adventure.
Tourism is limited in Bhutan. When we traveled is 2020, we had to book a tour though a small number of agencies. We paid $250 a day for each of us, which covered hotel, meals, car, and tour guide. We could walk around on our own, but our guide and driver accompanied us to all the destinations. We traveled with them everywhere. Now, Bhutan has loosened its restrictions, but they still limit the number of people coming. They are very eco-friendly; it is a 72% carbon negative country.
Here begins our 7-day adventure in Bhutan. The Bhutanese say that “those who seek us out are called here.” Bhutan offers the promise of a place of peace like none other. They believe that visitors are drawn to become guests and guardians of that peace rather than tourists. It was a unique welcoming and spirit that we felt.
Next , we will examine the city of Paro, where we landed.